@Sc01Clark I'm presuming a cancellation, you are welcome to attend, starts on the hour

What is the Perth Transport Futures Project?

It is widely acknowledged that Perth is a major strategic hub in the Scottish transport network where the principal routes connecting the central belt to North and North East Scotland converge. Perth also has the distinct advantage of having major road connections to all of Scotland’s cities with a drive time of within two hours. However, over the past twenty, as a result of increasing levels of traffic and new development there has been increasing concern and a noticeable increase in traffic congestion and related air quality issues in, and around, Perth.

As a result of these traffic and air quality issues, it was clear that there were both current and potentially exacerbated future, problems which needed to be addressed. This was required in order to ensure that congestion did not undermine the future development of the city as set out in the Local Development Plan.

The need for a package of measures which address this problem has, therefore, been identified as an issue over many years for successive Councils. These measures have been development as the Perth Transport Futures Project. In the main the Perth Transport Futures Project is focussed on the need for major road infrastructure which will be required to address key congestion points in the road network and to provide essential linkages to growth areas set out in the Local Development Plan.

As a result of the timelines required for taking various elements of the Perth’s Transport Future Project forward it has been broken down to a series of phases. While the individual phases all deliver direct benefits, the ability of the Perth network to accommodate the projected economic growth, including the opportunity to create thousands of jobs and in essence deliver the Local Development Plan allocations, will only be achieved with the delivery of the full package of measures. These measures will be delivered over a number of years and are split into four phases:

Phase 1 A9/A85 Junction Improvement and Link Road to Bertha Park

Phase 2 Cross Tay Link Road (CTLR) – A9 to the A93 and A94

Phase 3 Bertha Park North Link to A9 (Linking Phases 1 and 2)

Phase 4 Associated City improvements such as traffic management measures and measures to further develop the cycling, walking and public transport networks in and around Perth to encourage travel by more sustainable modes.

Benefits

There are significant benefits arising from the totality of the Perth’s Transport Future Project, and these are summarised as follows:

An upgraded A9/A85 junction providing for better flow of both local and through traffic in and around the busy Crieff Road area and easier connections to Inveralmond as a result of Phase 1 of the project

A second major access to Inveralmond will relieve pressure on this junction at peak times

Improved pedestrian and cycle safety as a result of better facilities and reduced levels of traffic

Reduction of journey times on the local transport network and increased network capacity for more sustainable modes of travel

Completion of the 3rd Tay Crossing, so further enhancing and providing the required step change in the transport network in and around Perth

Expansion of Perth as envisaged in the Proposed Local Development Plan

Improved amenity for residents and businesses in the Crieff Road corridor, Scone, Bridgend and the city centre generally

A positive contribution towards meeting the objectives of the Council’s AQMA within both the Crieff Road Corridor and wider Perth

Potential for the creation of between 3,000 – 5,000 jobs through the opening up of development land